If you’re lucky enough to be going to Qingdao to watch the sailing events in next year’s Olympic Games, you’ll be seeing this surprising display in the opening ceremony.

This is four-year-old Chinese boy Yang Yang smooching with a beluga whale, and his display at Polar Ocean World includes riding the whale bareback.

The Chinese seem to have a thing about children and swimming stunts. Here is a recent story about a 10-year-old training to swim the English Channel ‘dolphin style’ with her hands and feet bound.

Do they have any ideas for revving up sailing, I wonder?